“Purge and purify.”
Much like the Saw and Paranormal Activity franchises, The Purge has become a near annual event. A time for horror fans to escape the blistering heat and enter into a world where, for one twelve hour period a year, all crime is legal. Audiences have had to wait more than two years for this installment; and while the film has its issues, one cannot argue the intelligence that lies behind the terror.
Opening to a frightening moment during the annual purge some eighteen years ago, Election Year offers up a traumatizing point in the childhood of Senator Charlie Roan. Tied to the couch with her parents and brother, she watches on as a man forces her mother to choose the one member who will survive the annual crime wave. Flash forward to present day and Charlie (Elizabeth Mitchell) is standing confidently on stage in the midst of a heated debate, taking on the Founding Fathers as an Independent in the upcoming Presidential Election. Her platform: ending the purge.
Showing a better understanding of its subjects and a sharper focus on its end goal, Election Year takes an intense turn in regard to its overall approach to its story. Rather than focus in on a single family as they become sitting prey to a group of purge enthusiast, director James DeMonaco utilizes the current political climate, employing the racial and economic tensions that have controlled local headlines for the last few years.
As the Founding Fathers work to rid themselves of their opposition, they decide to do the unthinkable: remove the immunity given to high ranking government officials. Though the decision makes them vulnerable, it also creates a target on Senator Roan-one they plan to exploit.
As the siren sounds and the purge begins, you find yourself a sitting duck amongst a heap of patriotic symbolism. From a group of girls with bedazzled automatic rifles blaring Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” to a group of “murder tourist” from Europe who have donned the tackiest 4th of July outfits known to mankind, the nationalistic flare is undeniably strong. But within the grips of Election Year lies an even bigger theme - one of inequality and power.
As the night wages on Senator Roan continues to survive the attacks of the Founding Fathers while navigating through some awkward sexual tension with her bodyguard Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo). Their trek around town is highly improbable given the situation, but the adventure offers up a steady wave of adrenaline as DeMonaco’s style prevents you from ever fully processing your surroundings. But this film, unlike its predecessors, doesn’t rely on the scare tactics and a confined space. As a result it misses out on some of the heart pounding nerves, presenting itself as more of a political thriller, injected with a bit of sci-fi, than anything else.
A steady stream of comedic undertone reminds you that Election Year isn’t meant to be taken too seriously, even if the political satire hits fairly close to home. A war waged over a candy bar grows old within minutes though it’s this level of ridiculousness that adds another layer of complexity to the psychology that these characters operate under.
As the film hits its third act and we find ourselves in an awkward, cultish environment, you can’t help but feel that DeMonaco is attempting to do too much with his story. For all the focus that he had during the onset, his objective has grown exponentially, leaving us in the dust as he works to wrap up a mountain of loose ends before the siren marks the end to the annual event. And though the satirical elements remain on point, Election Year sacrifices many of its franchise’s constant elements in an effort to make a point.
